Today, Google, Mozilla, Opera, and even Microsoft's new Edge browser support WebRTC. But until this week, there'd been little evidence that Apple would join the party, with WebRTC based on a Google-led specification for video and chat services native to the browser.

Most Web browser metrics aren't worth the pixels they're written in, but the US's Digital Analytics Program is based on hard data from real people and the real winner is Google Chrome by a wide margin.

WebRTC, or Web Real Time Communications, is backed by Google, Opera, and Mozilla. The technology lets developers build peer-to-peer video and chat on the web with JavaScript and HTML5, bypassing the need to install a plugin or application.

One attractive aspect of WebRTC, which Google put forward in 2011, is that it's free to use and aims to cut down on developing for different platforms.

One high-profile example of a WebRTC application is Talko, the team messaging app for mobile, formerly headed up Ray Ozzie and other ex-Microsoft developers.

Microsoft acquired Talko last year for Skype, a few months after announcing WebRTC support for Edge. The intent was to allow WebRTC-compatible apps to talk to Skype users and for developers to integrate Skype into their web applications.

Apple's decision to approve WebRTC as part of the WebKit specification, as WebRTC supporter Lantre Barr writes, should have a positive impact on the future prospects of the communications technology.

"Without Apple's commitment, doubt and fear were common among companies and organizations looking to incorporate WebRTC in their products and services," Barr wrote.

Thank You

By registering you become a member of the CBS Interactive family of sites and you have read and agree to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Video Services Policy. You agree to receive updates, alerts and promotions from CBS and that CBS may share information about you with our marketing partners so that they may contact you by email or otherwise about their products or services.
You will also receive a complimentary subscription to the ZDNet's Tech Update Today and ZDNet Announcement newsletters. You may unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time.